A method of updating firmware components of a computer system includes downloading at least one update packet by a service processor of the computer system, the service processor operating independently of a main processor and main operating system of the computer system; creating an image of a bootable virtual storage medium in a memory connected to the service processor by the service processor, the image including data from the at least one downloaded update packet and auxiliary operating system; incorporating the created image as virtual storage drive with the bootable first data storage medium; booting the computer system from the created image of the virtual storage medium, wherein the main processor starts the auxiliary operating system; and updating firmware components on the basis of data from the at least one update packet of the created image of the virtual data storage medium under the control of the auxiliary operating system.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of updating firmware components of a computer system with a motherboard, the motherboard of the computer system comprising a main processor, a first memory chip for storing a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) for the computer system, a service processor and a second memory chip connected to the service processor via a dedicated connection, wherein the BIOS is used for starting a main operating system of the computer system, the service processor can be operated independently of the main processor and the main operating system of the computer system, and wherein the second memory chip is a flash memory permanently connected via the dedicated connection to the service processor of the computer system or an interchangeable flash memory card connected via the dedicated connection to the service processor of the computer system and is used for non-volatile storage of data of the service processor, the method comprising: downloading a plurality of update packets by the service processor of the computer system from an update server and storing the plurality of update packets in the second memory chip; creating an image of a bootable virtual storage medium in the second memory chip by the service processor, the image comprising data from the plurality of downloaded update packets, program code for executing an update program and an auxiliary operating system, wherein the update program is executed under the control of the auxiliary operating system for updating firmware components of the computer system, the service processor emulates a standard interface to access the bootable virtual storage medium so that the auxiliary operating system can access the bootable virtual storage medium without specific software drivers; incorporating the created image as a virtual storage drive with the bootable virtual storage medium and making the bootable virtual data storage medium available for the BIOS; booting, by means of the BIOS, the computer system from the created image of the bootable virtual storage medium, wherein the BIOS running on the main processor starts the auxiliary operating system; and updating, by the update program, the firmware components on the basis of the data from the plurality of update packets of the created image of the bootable virtual data storage medium under the control of the auxiliary operating system.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the downloading and the creating are performed during operation of the main operating system.
3. A method of updating firmware components of a computer system with a motherboard, the motherboard of the computer system comprising a main processor, a first memory chip for storing a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) for the computer system, a service processor and a second memory chip connected to the service processor via a dedicated connection, wherein the service processor can be operated independently of the main processor and a main operating system of the computer system, the BIOS is used for starting either the main operating system stored on a bulk storage drive of the computer system or an auxiliary operating system for the main processor of the computer system stored on a flash memory connected to the service processor, and wherein the second memory chip is a flash memory permanently connected via the dedicated connection to the service processor of the computer system or an interchangeable flash memory card connected via the dedicated connection to the service processor of the computer system and is used for non-volatile storage of data of the service processor, the method comprising: downloading at least one update packet by the service processor of the computer system from an update server and storing the at least one update packet in the second memory chip; compiling data from the at least one downloaded update packet stored in the second memory chip and an auxiliary operating system to form a bootable first data storage medium by the service processor, the bootable first data storage medium comprising data from the one update packet, program code for executing an update program and the auxiliary operating system, wherein the update program can be executed under the control of the auxiliary operating system for updating firmware components of the computer system, the service processor emulates a standard interface to access the bootable first data storage medium so that the auxiliary operating system can access the bootable first data storage medium without specific software drivers; booting the computer system from the compiled bootable first data storage medium wherein the BIOS running on the main processor starts the auxiliary operating system; and updating the firmware components on the basis of the data from the at least one update packet of the compiled first data storage medium under the control of the auxiliary operating system.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising: setting a boot drive of the computer system to the bootable first data storage medium; performing a first restart for the computer system after compilation has concluded; setting the boot drive of the computer system to a bootable second data storage medium that stores the main operating system; and performing a second restart for the computer system when the step of update of firmware components has concluded.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the first restart is initiated by a message from the service processor to the main operating system or the main processor.
6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein; the downloading and the compiling involves the computer system being taken as a basis to acquire update packets for all possible components of the computer system; and the updating involves an update program updating only such firmware components as are existent in the computer system and/or as are not up to date.
7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the downloading involves a list of available updates being downloaded and the service processor taking an evaluation of the list as a basis for subsequently downloading further update packets.
8. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the downloading, the compiling and the updated each involve the data from a plurality of update packets being processed.
9. A computer system comprising: a system component; a bulk storage device storing a main operating system; a main processor arranged on the system component configured for executing the main operating system; a service processor arranged on the system component that can be operated independently of the main processor and the main operating system; a flash memory device arranged on the system component and connected to the service processor via a dedicated connection, the flash memory device being configured for non-volatile storage of data of the service processor; and a memory chip for storing a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) for the computer system, for booting the computer system using either the main operating system or an auxiliary operating system stored on the flash memory device; wherein the service processor downloads at least one update packet for the computer system from an update server, stores the at least one downloaded update packet in the flash memory device and compiles data from the at least one downloaded update packet stored in the flash memory device together with the auxiliary operating system to form a bootable first data storage medium, the bootable first data storage medium comprising data from the one update packet, program code for executing an update program and the auxiliary operating system, wherein the update program can be executed under the control of the auxiliary operating system for updating firmware components of the computer system, the service processor emulates a standard interface to access the bootable first data storage medium so that the auxiliary operating system can access the bootable first data storage medium without specific software drivers; and wherein the BIOS running on the main processor boots the computer system from the compiled first data storage medium using the auxiliary operating system and updates firmware components on the basis of the data from the at least one update packet of the compiled first data storage medium under the control of the auxiliary operating system.
10. The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein the service processor stores an image of a virtual storage medium in the flash memory device and incorporates the stored image into the computer system as a bootable first data storage medium.
11. The computer system according to claim 10 , wherein the service processor incorporates the stored image into the computer system in a read-only mode of operation, particularly as a storage medium for a virtual CD or DVD drive.
12. The computer system according to claim 9 , further comprising: a first firmware component that starts the computer system from a selectable memory apparatus, wherein the service processor furthermore selects the flash memory device to start the computer system after compilation of the bootable first data storage medium and select the bulk storage device to start the computer system after update of the firmware components.
13. The computer system according to claim 9 , wherein the service processor comprises a scheduling component that loads the at least one update packet for the computer system according to a first predetermined schedule.
14. A memory apparatus having executable program code stored thereon, wherein the execution of the program code by a service processor arranged on a motherboard of a computer system involves steps being performed by the service processor: downloading at least one update packet from an update server into a flash memory device connected to the service processor and arranged on the motherboard of the computer system, wherein the flash memory device and the service processor are connected via a dedicated connection and the step of downloading is performed independently of a main processor arranged on the motherboard of the computer system and independently of a main operating system of the computer system executed by the main processor; and compiling data from the at least one downloaded update packet and an auxiliary operating system to form a bootable first data storage medium in the flash memory device, the bootable first data storage medium comprising data from the one update packet, program code for executing an update program and the auxiliary operating system, wherein the update program can be executed under the control of the auxiliary operating system for updating firmware components of the computer system, wherein the service processor emulates a standard interface to access the bootable first data storage medium so that the auxiliary operating system can access the bootable first data storage medium without specific software drivers, and wherein the auxiliary operating system on the bootable first data storage medium is configured to be started by a Basic Input Operating System (BIOS) for the computer system running on a main processor to update firmware components on the basis of the data from the at least one update packet of the compiled first data storage medium under the control of the auxiliary operating system.
15. The memory apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein compilation of data to form a bootable first data storage medium comprises creation of an image of a virtual storage medium.
16. The computer system according to claim 15 , wherein execution of the program code by the service processor results in emulation of a standard interface to access the bootable first data storage medium.
17. The method in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the main operating system is Microsoft® Windows®, and the auxiliary operating system is a customized version of the Linux operating system.
18. The method in accordance with claim 3 , wherein in the step of booting, the service processor emulates, for the BIOS, a boot apparatus connected by a USB connection which is used to start the computer system from the second memory chip.
19. The computer system according to claim 9 , further comprising: a PCIe interface for providing a communication interface between the service processor and the main processor, wherein the PCIe interface is configured to interchange data between the flash memory device connected to the service processor via the dedicated connection and programs running on the main processor.
20. The computer system according to claim 19 , wherein the service processor is configured to emulate, for the BIOS, a boot apparatus connected by a USB connection via the PCIe interface for booting the computer system from the compiled first data storage medium stored on the flash memory device.
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May 15, 2015
August 18, 2020
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